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WHAT’S YOUR JEWISH CONNECTEDNESS?

On a scale of BFF to Complete Stranger, how connected do you feel to your Jewish identity?

BFFmy Judaism is a thing I interact with daily

We’re friendsmy Judaism is something I interact with approximately once a week

We see each other aroundmy Judaism is something I interact with approximately once a month

We’re out of touchMy Judaism is something I interact with approximately once a year

FrenemiesJudaism is sorta part of my identity, but it’s something I rarely interact with and barely feel connected to

Complete strangerI do not feel connected to my Judaism

How connected do you want to be to your Jewish identity?

BFFmy Judaism is a thing I interact with daily

We’re friendsmy Judaism is something I interact with approximately once a week

We see each other aroundmy Judaism is something I interact with approximately once a month

We’re out of touchMy Judaism is something I interact with approximately once a year

FrenemiesJudaism is sorta part of my identity, but it’s something I rarely interact with and barely feel connected to

Complete strangerI do not feel connected to my Judaism

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Radical Hospitality Creates Safe Space

Rachael and Jonathan

Rachael Chou reached out to Tribe 12 warily. She had just moved from Boston to Philly with her fiancé Jonathan, an Asian American, and their experience in Boston’s Jewish community had been that his identity was questioned as soon as he walked into a room. Rachael had always been very connected to Jewish community throughout her life — synagogue, youth group, all the basics — and she was looking for opportunities for the two of them to find their Jewish community together. When Rachael reached out to Tribe 12 and told us her story she was quickly assured through words, but even more significantly through actions, that there was a place for both of them at Tribe 12. They became regulars at events, with Jonathan joining an informal “Jewish” basketball league with guys he met, and together Rachael and Jonathan became part of a volunteer board where they developed friendships they still maintain a decade later. Consider donating $12 to support safe spaces for people like Rachael and Jonathan.

There is a Jewish Community for Everyone

Morgan, Point Breeze

When Morgan’s name pops up in Philly media, which it often does, the term entrepreneur is never far behind. Tribe 12 is proud that we played a part in her professional journey to build the app MilkCrate, but even prouder of the part we played in her Jewish one. When Morgan applied for the Tribe 12 Fellowship she was very honest about how Judaism was complicated for her, having grown up in an interfaith family. Five months later, Morgan had embraced Judaism as an important part of her identity, was participating in Interfaith Family events which reflected her mixed heritage, and had developed lasting friendships — both professional and personal — with a close knit group of Jewish women leading the way in the local entrepreneurial scene. She did not come seeking Jewish community, yet that is what she found. Donate $12 to help Tribe 12 create Jewish Community for everyone.

Be in the Now, Watch What’s Next

Polly, West Philly

Polly, a young professional working in Philly’s theatre scene, saw a post about a new leadership development program from Tribe 12, and it sounded like just the thing she was looking for — developing concrete professional skills while finding an “in” to the Jewish community. The program was a pilot, an experiment for Tribe 12 to test our own research about what today’s 20s/30s are looking for in professional development. We used the experience of Polly and her cohort to transform the Tribe 12 Fellowship into what it is today — a Jewish space to explore a person’s emotional intelligence, entrepreneurial ability and philanthropic sensibility. And for Polly? She found a whole new crew of Jewish friends, became a member of Tribe 12’s community workspace Tribe Commons, and took a job working for a Jewish communal organization. Win-win! Want to contribute to a Jewish community that values the present and the future? Donate $12 to Tribe 12.

Disrupt the Ordinary

Josh and Rachael, East Passyunk

The Silverbauers love Purim. What’s not to love? The holiday is celebrated as a mash up of Halloween and St. Patty’s Day. The story has drama, romance, intrigue, and sex! One day, Josh and a few friends decided to write a musical spoof of the Purim story to perform for friends in his living room. What a night! Fun, wacky and even educational, all at the same time. Fast forward a few years, and A Very Awesome Purim, an original musical production, is selling out two nights in a 200-person venue in Center City, with a crowd that rarely comes to organized Jewish events. This is where Tribe 12 comes in. Tribe 12 partners with individuals who support such a creative combination of the arts, Jewish innovation, and community. Josh and Rachael, his co-director/producer/brilliant creative partner/wife, will continue to partner with Tribe 12 on A Very Awesome Purim to reach a larger audience — and then make sure that audience can find out about other “awesome” Jewish opportunities throughout the year. And who knows where this partnership built on the mutual drive to challenge expectations will lead in the future… Want to help people like Josh and Rachael disrupt the ordinary by building innovative Jewish experiences? Consider donating $12 or more today.

Act as Guides, not Authorities

Julie, San Francisco

Julie’s first contact was at Tribe 12 Happy Hour, a first Thursday tradition going back over 15 years in Philadelphia. She enjoyed being in Philadelphia, and attended numerous after-work events hosted by various Philly communities. Day-to-day, Julie worked for a small company with a national team, so she spent many hours working alone in her apartment. That fateful day at happy hour, a staff member told her about Tribe Commons, Tribe 12’s community work space. Julie joined as a member just a few short weeks later. Tribe Commons had an enormous impact on Julie’s life — a community workspace not only gave her a place to go each day, but also gave her some much-needed office friends. Tribe Commons led Julie to became a regular at Tribe 12, introduced her to what became her enormous friend network, and ultimately gave her easier access to Philly’s vibrant Jewish community. One day Julie attended a women’s event that changed her life. Over Shabbat dinner, Julie met a Tribe 12 board member who gave her guidance and mentorship and challenged her to follow her heart. Totally inspired, Julie quit her job and moved to Guatemala to learn Spanish, teach English, and embed herself in a totally new vibrant local community. Now back in the states, Julie has brought her renewed sense of purpose and worth to her new job working for an international Jewish community organization. Help Tribe 12 continue to provide value to amazing community leaders like Julie. Donate $12 or more to Tribe 12 today.

Rock a City Vibe

Dillon, Northern Liberties

Philadelphia is a city of neighborhoods, each with its own distinct personality. Dillon lived in Northern Liberties and he was always looking for things to do locally. When he saw Tribe 12 was hosting a NoLibs scavenger hunt, he was down! One event in his neighborhood led to Dillon becoming a regular at events all around town, from a food truck festival in the Gayborhood to Jewish Graduate Student Network​ events in West Philly. Dillon later told us he only came to his first event because it was close to home, but the people he met quickly convinced him there was a Jewish Community for him. Help Tribe 12 continue to engage people in our city by donating $12 today.

Listen & Respond

Warren, NYC

In 2005, there was not a lot happening for Jewish 20s and 30s in Philly. There was definitely nothing if you were Jewish and LGBTQ and looking to build a community with others who shared this dual identity. Warren was working in the theatre community, involved in a local chavurah (prayer group), and occasionally hosted friends for a Shabbat dinner. He came to Tribe 12 with the question of how to build the community he was seeking. It only took an hour of chatting to make an easy decision — if Warren would step up as a lead volunteer, Tribe 12 would back the project. Queer@thecollaborative was born, which later morphed in Spectrum Philly and is today Tribe 12 LGBTQ. As for Warren, his volunteer roles soon led him to a career as a Jewish communal professional, where he is currently the Executive Director of an organization that advances the understanding of Jewish scholarship. Help Tribe 12 respond to more community needs by donating $12 today.

Be the Most Fun

Donna and Marti

It’s a Philly tradition since 1998: Tribe 12’s First Thursday Happy Hour. How many have been introduced to the Philly Jewish scene with a free drink when they came to their first event, and how many people have become regulars over the years? Marti and Donna were regulars at many scenes around town, both Jewish and Philly, but the Tribe 12 happy hour was a favorite for the chance to check out the best watering holes in town, and mostly for the people. This is where they made so many of the friends that filled their social life on all the other days of the month. They were always the first to arrive and became the unofficial greeters, making each person, both new and old, feel welcomed. Their unofficial status soon became official as they joined our programming committee as volunteers and became two of the best ambassadors Tribe 12 has ever known! Donate $12 to help keep Tribe 12 the most fun!

Meet People Where They Are

Davinica, Fitler Square

Davinica went to a small arts college with less Jews than there are fingers on her hand. Even though she was in Philadelphia, her university experience did not include Jewish connection of any kind. She also grew up in a family with multiple religious identities, so she was unsure of where or if she fit into the Jewish community. That changed senior year when she saw a post for an internship with Tribe 12. What started as a professional opportunity soon became much more. During her internship, she learned about the many organizations with whom Tribe 12 partners, so when a space came up to live in Moishe House Philadelphia, she applied — and was soon the newest resident! Today, Davinica is an aspiring social entrepreneur working to support artists and the causes about which they are passionate, and a treasured member of Philly’s Jewish community. Help Tribe 12 continue to meet people where they are by donating $12 today.

Everyone Can Level Up

Lauren, Queen Village/Society Hill

Lauren first came to a Tribe 12 event purely to have fun and make some new friends. Capture the Flag was the event — a chance to be nostalgic about camp and summer fun. She met some people she liked and started coming to First Thursday Happy Hour. Then she saw on Tribe 12’s Instagram that Tribe 12’s volunteer-led acapella group, the Chailights, were holding auditions. Lauren loved to sing — and this was exactly the kind of thing she was looking for. After about six months of coming to the weekly acapella rehearsals and performing Hebrew and popular songs with the group (many of whom became her best friends) she took on the role as co-leader. When a Tribe 12 staff member invited her to apply to the Tribe 12 Fellowship to learn about leadership and entrepreneurship in order to make sure the Chailights would continue, she jumped on the opportunity! The Fellowship opened her eyes to larger possibilities — she founded a nonprofit, KEYhillah, a national network for post-collegiate Jewish acapella groups, so that more people can have experiences just like hers. Support passionate Jewish leaders like Lauren by donating $12 or more to Tribe 12.

We're Jewish

Ali was new to Philly and was actively seeking ways to connect Jewishly in her new city. She had heard about Tribe 12 but was not sure it was for her. Tribe 12 has a reputation for being a whole lot of fun — a great place to meet new friends and potential “baes” at great events. Ali felt she might be younger than many that attended events and was religiously more observant than many of her peers, so was not sure if she should reach out to Tribe 12. We’re so glad that she did! Within less than a year, Ali found the network of Shabbat dinners Tribe 12 promotes, became a Tribe 12 Fellow, and on a recommendation from a Tribe 12 staff member traveled to Israel with Friends of the Israeli Defense Forces, where she is now an active volunteer. Help Tribe 12 continue to Jewishly engage by donating $12 today.

It's About the Individual

Caroline, Rittenhouse

Caroline is what some might call the quintessentially “engaged Jew.” She is from an interfaith family with a strong Jewish identity, grew up in a Conservative synagogue, attended Jewish day school, and volunteered with Jewish organizations. However, as a graduate student and young professional, Caroline did not find outlets to engage with Judaism like she had in the past. She came to Tribe 12 through the Tribe 12 Fellowship, which provided her with a Jewish lens for the social enterprise she wanted to develop. Before beginning the Tribe 12 Fellowship, Caroline hadn’t realized that she was missing the integration of Jewish thought and practice into her professional life. In her time as a Fellow Caroline gained new perspectives and some of her greatest personal and professionals supporters in Philadelphia. Caroline’s positive experience in the Fellowship led her to seek out Tribe 12’s in-house matchmaker who introduced her to her fiancé, Nathan, a rabbinic student! Now, as a new member of Tribe 12’s Board of Directors, Caroline loves that she is able to help others engage with and feel supported by the wonderful Jewish community she found at Tribe 12. Help individuals like Caroline continue to contribute to the Tribe 12 community. Donate $12 or more to Tribe 12 today.